BA strikes cut passenger numbers by 200,000 in March

Heathrow airport lost 180,000 passengers in March because of the British Airways strikes, it has emerged.

Owner BAA said 5.2m people travelled through the airport last month, 180,000 fewer than usual. Other airports, including Edinburgh and Glasgow, saw a loss of 20,000 passengers as a result of the two walkouts, the company said.

Heathrow numbers increased by 0.4% on March 2009, but this was far less than the expected 3.8% rise, the BBC has reported.

BAA chief executive Colin Matthews warned that the market remained “difficult”, as other airports not affected by the industrial action reported below average figures.